Classicism is a literary movement that developed in the eighteenth century. A striking example of it is the comedy "Undergrowth". The characters in this work are the topic of the article.

Issues

What is the story of the comedy "Undergrowth"? The characters are typical representatives of the social strata in Russia of the eighteenth century. Among them are statesmen, and nobles, and servants, and serfs, and even self-proclaimed teachers. The social theme is touched upon in the comedy "Undergrowth". Characters - Mitrofanushka and his mother. Mrs. Prostakova strictly controls everyone. She does not consider anyone, not even her husband. In terms of its problems, the works “Undergrowth” are straightforward. Actors in comedy are either negative or positive. There are no complicated contradictory images.

The work also touches on social and political issues. Even today, after more than two centuries, it does not lose its relevance. The characters in Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth" utter phrases that literally scattered into quotes. The names of the heroes of this dramatic work have become common nouns.

History of creation

It is worth a few words to tell about how the work was created before describing the characters. "Undergrowth" Fonvizin wrote in 1778. By that time, the writer had already visited France. He spent more than a year in Paris, where he studied jurisprudence, philosophy, got acquainted with the social life of the country, which gave the world such names as Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau. Consequently, the views of the Russian playwright have changed somewhat. He realized the backwardness of the Russian landlord class. Therefore, the writer considered it necessary to create a work that would ridicule the vices of his contemporaries.

Fonvizin worked on the comedy for more than three years. In the early eighties, the premiere of the comedy "Undergrowth" took place in one of the capital's theaters.

List of actors

1. Prostakov.
2. Prostakov.
3. Mitrofanushka.
4. Sophia.
5. Milo.
6. Pravdin.
7. Starodum.
8. Skotinin.
9. Kuteikin.
10. Tsiferkin.
11. Vralman.
12. Trishka.

Sofya, Mitrofanushka, Prostakova are the main characters. Undergrowth is a concept denoting a young nobleman who has not received an education. As you know, Mitrofan is one of the main characters in the comedy. But other characters in the comedy cannot be called secondary. Each of them plays a specific role in the plot. The works, like other works of the era of classicism, reflect the events that take place within one day. The characters in the comedy "Undergrowth" are endowed with names. And this is another typical feature of the works of classicism.

Plot

Fonvizin's comedy tells about cruel and stupid landowners, who are opposed by educated aristocrats. In the center of the plot is the story of an orphan girl who suddenly turns out to be the heiress of a large fortune. in comedy, they try to take possession of her dowry by forcibly marrying her off. The positive ones come to the rescue, getting rid of treacherous relatives.

In the house of the Prostakovs

A more detailed description of the characters in "Undergrowth" is presented below. But, as already mentioned, Mrs. Prostakova has a difficult disposition. The reader is convinced of this from the very first pages. The comedy begins with a scene in which Mitrofanushka's mother, in anger, attacks the serf Trishka for sewing a caftan for her beloved son, which is too small for him. This and subsequent events characterize Prostakova as a person prone to tyranny and unexpected outbursts of rage.

Sophia lives in the Prostakovs' house. Her father is dead. Recently, she lived in Moscow with her mother. But several months passed before she became an orphan. Prostakova took her to her.

rich heiress

Prostakova's brother Skotinin appears on the stage. Characteristics of the characters in the comedy "Undergrowth" - a description of the characters, which can be divided into two groups. The first includes the noble, honest and educated. To the second - ignorant and rude. Skotinin should be attributed to the latter. This man expresses his desire to marry Sophia. But he wants to connect his life with this girl not because he likes her. The thing is that he is a big hunter of pigs, as his surname speaks eloquently. And Sophia inherited several villages, on whose farms these animals live in great abundance.

Prostakova, meanwhile, learns exciting news: Sophia's uncle is alive. Mitrofan's mother is angry. After all, she believed that the Starodum had long been gone from the world. It turned out he was alive. Moreover, he is going to make his niece the heiress of the fortune he made in Siberia. Prostakova accuses Sophia of hiding news of a wealthy relative from her. But suddenly a brilliant idea comes to her mind. She decides to marry Sophia to her son.

Justice has triumphed

The village is visited by officer Milon, whom Sophia knew back in Moscow. They love each other, but due to life circumstances they had to leave. Milon, having learned about Sophia's engagement, is at first tormented by jealousy, but later he learns about what Mitrofan is, and calms down somewhat.

Prostakova loves her son very much. She hires teachers for him, but at the same time, by the age of sixteen, he had not even learned to read and write. The lad constantly complains to his mother that the teaching brings melancholy to him. To which Prostakova consoles her son, promising to marry him soon.

The appearance of Starodum

Finally, Uncle Sophia arrives in the village. Starodum tells the story of his life about how he was forced to leave the civil service, went to Siberia, and then decided to return from his native land. Starodum meets with Sophia and promises to save her from unpleasant relatives and marry her to a worthy man, who turns out to be her beloved Milon.

Description of actors

The minor, that is, Mitrofanushka, studies, observing the decree of the king, but does it with great reluctance. The characteristic features of this hero are stupidity, ignorance, laziness. Plus, he's cruel. Mitrofanushka does not respect her father and mocks her teachers. He takes advantage of the fact that his mother selflessly loves him.

Sophia gives a good description of her failed fiancé. The girl claims that, although Mitrofanushka was only sixteen years old, he has reached the peak of his perfection and will not develop further. This characters of Fonvizin's comedy are rather unpleasant. It combines traits such as servility and a penchant for tyranny.

At the beginning of the work, Mitrofanushka appears before readers in the role of a spoiled tough person. But later, when his mother fails to organize his wedding with a wealthy relative, he radically changes his behavior, humbly asks for forgiveness from Sophia, and shows humility towards Starodum. Mitrofanushka is a representative of the Prostakov-Skotinin world, people devoid of any concept of morality. The undergrowth symbolizes the degradation of the Russian nobility, the reason for which lies in improper upbringing and lack of education.

The surname Prostakova symbolizes ignorance and ignorance. The main feature of this heroine is blind love for her son. At the end of the work, Mitrofanushka's mother descends to the point that she begins to use assault on Skotinin. Prostakov - a combination of arrogance, hatred, anger and cowardice. By creating this literary character, the author wanted to show the reader what the lack of education leads to. According to Fonvizin, it is ignorance that is the cause of many human vices.

Sofia

Prostakova's niece is a representative of a noble family. But, unlike her relatives, she is educated, has a sense of honor. Sofya laughs at Mitrofanushka and his mother. She despises them. The characteristic features of the heroine are kindness, mockery, nobility.

Other positive characters

Starodum is an educated man of advanced years with great life experience. The main features of this hero are honesty, wisdom, kindness and respect for other people. This character is opposed to Prostakova. Both of them want the best for their students. But their approach to education is completely different. If Prostakova sees in her son a small child who requires constant care and indulges him in everything, then Starodum considers Sophia a mature personality. He takes care of his niece, choosing a worthy man for her husband. A few words should be said about this character.

Milon

The characteristic features of this hero are sincerity, nobility, prudence. Even in difficult situations, he does not lose his sanity. Hearing about Sophia's engagement, he presents Mitrofan as an educated and worthy man. And only later does his opinion regarding the opponent change. It is this hero who, in one of the last actions, is trying to reconcile Prostakov with his brother, reminding them that they are close people.

Speech characteristics of the heroes of the comedy "Undergrowth"

The first thing that the modern reader of the comedy "Undergrowth" pays attention to is the names of the characters. “Speaking” surnames immediately establish the attitude of the reader (spectator) to their owners. He ceases to be a more or less objective witness of the action being played out, he psychologically already becomes a participant in it. He was deprived of the opportunity to evaluate the heroes and their actions. From the very beginning, from the names of the characters, the reader was told where the negative characters are and where the positive ones are. And the role of the reader is to see and remember the ideal to which one must strive.

The actors can be divided into three groups: negative (Prostakovs, Mitrofan, Skotinin), positive (Pravdin, Milon, Sophia, Starodum), the third group includes all other characters - these are mainly servants and teachers. Negative characters and their servants are inherent in the common colloquial language. The vocabulary of the Skotinins consists mainly of words used in the barnyard. This is well shown by the speech of Skotinin - Uncle Mitrofan. She is full of words: pig, piglets, pigsty. The idea of ​​life also begins and ends with the barnyard. He compares his life with the life of his pigs. For example: “I also want to have my own piglets”, “if I have ... a special barn for each pig, then I will find a litter box for my wife.” And he is proud of this: “Well, be I a pig's son, if ...” The vocabulary of his sister, Mrs. Prostakova, is a little more diverse due to the fact that her husband is “countless fool” and she has to do everything herself. But the roots of Skotininsky are also manifested in her speech. Favorite curse word is "cattle". To show that Prostakova is not far behind her brother in development, Fonvizin sometimes denies her elementary logic. For example, such phrases: “Since we took away everything that the peasants had, we can’t tear anything off,” “So is it really necessary to be like a tailor in order to be able to sew a caftan well?” And, drawing conclusions from what has been said, Prostakova finishes the phrase: “What a bestial reasoning.”

Concerning her husband, one can only say that he is laconic and does not open his mouth without instructions from his wife. But this is what characterizes him as a “countless fool”, a weak-willed husband who fell under the heel of his wife. Mitrofanushka is also laconic, though, unlike his father, he has freedom of speech. Skotinin's roots are manifested in his ingenuity of curses: "old grunt", "garrison rat".

Servants and teachers have in their speech the characteristic features of the estates and parts of society to which they belong. Eremeevna's speech is constant excuses and desires to please. Teachers: Tsyfirkin is a retired sergeant, Kuteikin is a sexton from Pokrov. And by their speech they show belonging: one - to the military, the other - to the church ministers.

Hello:

Kuteikin: “To the house of the lord peace and many years from the children and household.”

Tsyfirkin: “We wish your honor a hundred years of health, yes twenty ...”

Say goodbye:

Kuteikin: “Would you like us to go home?”

Tsyfirkin: “Where are we going, your honor?”

They swear:

Kuteikin: “At least now with whispers, if only I’ll be beaten by a sinner!”

Tsyfirkin: “I would give myself an ear to take away, if only to school this parasite like a soldier! .. What a beast!”

All the characters, except for the positive ones, have a very colorful, emotionally colored speech. You may not understand the meaning of the words, but the meaning of what is said is always clear.

For example:

• - I'll get you
• - I have my own holds are sharp

The speech of positive characters does not differ in such brightness. All four have no colloquial, colloquial phrases in their speech. This is bookish speech, the speech of educated people of that time, which practically does not express emotions. You understand the meaning of what has been said from the immediate meaning of the words. For the rest of the characters, the meaning can be caught in the very dynamics of speech.

It is almost impossible to distinguish Milon's speech from Pravdin's speech. It is also very difficult to say anything about Sophia from her speech. An educated, well-behaved young lady, as Starodum would call her, sensitive to the advice and instructions of her beloved uncle. Starodum’s speech is completely determined by the fact that the author put his moral program into the mouth of this hero: rules, principles, moral laws, according to which a “pious person” must live. Starodum's monologues are structured in this way: Starodum first tells a story from his life, and then deduces a moral. Such, for example, is the conversation between Starodum and Pravdivy. And the conversation between Starodum and Sophia is a set of rules, and "... every word will be embedded in the heart."

As a result, it turns out that the speech of the negative character characterizes him, and the speech of the positive character is used by the author to express his thoughts. The person is depicted in volume, the ideal - in the plane.

The original idea of ​​​​Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth" was to reveal the topic of education, which was very relevant in the Enlightenment, a little later socio-political issues were added to the work.

The name of the play is directly related to the decree of Peter the Great, which banned the opportunity to serve and marry young uneducated underage nobles.

History of creation

The first manuscript sketches of The Undergrowth date from around 1770. To write the play, Fonvizin had to rework many works with the appropriate ideology - the works of Russian and foreign contemporary writers (Voltaire, Rousseau, Lukin, Chulkov, etc.), articles from satirical magazines and even comedies written by Empress Catherine II herself. The work on the text was completed in 1781. A year later, after some obstacles from censorship, the first production of the play took place, and Fonvizin himself was the director, and the first publication of the play took place in 1773.

Description of the artwork

Action 1

The scene begins with a stormy discussion of a caftan sewn for Mitrofanushka. Mrs. Prostakova scolds her tailor Trishka and Prostakov supports her in an effort to punish the negligent servant. The situation is saved by the appearance of Skotinin, he justifies the unfortunate tailor. This is followed by a comical scene with Mitrofanushka - he manifests himself as an infantile young man, who also loves to eat tightly.

Skotinin discusses with the Prostakov couple the prospects for his marriage to Sofyushka. The only relative of the girl, Starodum, unexpectedly sends news of Sophia's acquisition of an impressive inheritance. Now the young lady has no end to the suitors - now the "minor" Mitrofan appears in the list of candidates for husbands.

Action 2

Among the soldiers who stopped in the village by chance is Sofyushka's fiancé - officer Milon. He turns out to be a good friend of Pravdin, an official who came to deal with the lawlessness that is happening on the Prostakov estate. At a chance meeting with her beloved, Milon learns about Prostakova's plans to arrange the fate of her son by marrying a now wealthy girl. This is followed by a quarrel between Skotinin and Mitrofan because of the future bride. Teachers appear - Kuteikin and Tsyfirkin, they share with Pravdin the details of their appearance in the Prostakovs' house.

Action 3

Arrival of the Starodum. Pravdin first meets Sophia's relative and reports to him about the atrocities happening in the Prostakovs' house in relation to the girl. The entire host family and Skotinin greet Starodum with hypocritical joy. Uncle plans to take Sofyushka to Moscow and marry her off. The girl submits to the will of her relative, not knowing that he chose Milon as her husband. Prostakova begins to praise Mitrofanushka as a diligent student. After everyone has dispersed, the remaining teachers Tsyfirkin and Kuteikin discuss the laziness and mediocrity of their undergrowth student. At the same time, they accuse the rogue, the former stableman of Starodum, Vralman, of hindering the learning process of the already stupid Mitrofanushka with his dense ignorance.

Action 4

Starodum and Sofyushka are talking about high moral principles and family values ​​- true love between spouses. After a conversation with Milon, having ascertained the high moral qualities of the young man, the uncle blesses his niece for marriage with her lover. What follows is a comical scene in which the unfortunate suitors Mitrofanushka and Skotinin are shown in a very unfavorable light. Having learned about the departure of a happy couple, the Prostakov family decides to intercept Sophia on the road.

Action 5

Starodum and Pravdin have pious conversations, having heard a noise, they interrupt the conversation and soon learn about the attempted kidnapping of the bride. Pravdin accuses the Prostakovs of this atrocity and threatens them with punishment. Prostakova on her knees begs for forgiveness from Sophia, but as soon as she receives it, she immediately accuses the servants of sluggishness in kidnapping the girl. A government paper arrives, announcing the transfer of all the property of the Prostakovs to Pravdin's custody. The scene of paying debts to teachers ends with a fair denouement - Vralman's deceit is revealed, the modest hard worker Tsyfirkin is generously endowed, and the ignoramus Kuteikin is left with nothing. The happy young people and Starodum are getting ready to leave. Mitrofanushka heeds Pravdin's advice to join the army.

Main characters

Considering the images of the main characters, it is worth noting that the speaking names of the characters in the play express the one-line nature of their character and leave no doubt about the author's moral assessment of the characters in the comedy.

The sovereign mistress of the estate, a despotic and ignorant woman, who believes that all matters, without exception, can be solved with the help of force, money or deceit.

His image is the focus of stupidity and ignorance. He has a striking lack of will and unwillingness to make decisions himself. Undergrowth Mitrofanushka was named not only because of his age, but also because of his total ignorance and low level of moral and civic education.

A kind, sympathetic girl who received a good education, has a high level of internal culture. Lives with the Prostakovs after the death of his parents. With all her heart she is devoted to her fiancé - officer Milon.

A person personifying the truth of life and the word of the law. As a government official, he is on the Prostakovs' estate in order to sort out the lawlessness that is happening there, in particular, the unfair mistreatment of servants.

Sophia's only relative, her uncle and guardian. A successful man who managed to realize his high moral principles.

Sophia's beloved and long-awaited fiance. A brave and honest young officer of high virtue.

A narrow-minded, greedy, uneducated person, who does not disdain anything for the sake of profit and is distinguished by deceit and hypocrisy to a high degree.

comedy analysis

Fonvizin's "Undergrowth" is a classic comedy in 5 acts, all three unities are strictly observed in it - the unity of time, place and action.

The solution to the problem of education is the central moment of the dramatic action of this satirical play. The accusatory sarcastic scene of Mitrofanushka's exam is a true culmination in the development of an educational theme. In Fonvizin's comedy, two worlds collide - each with different ideals and needs, with different lifestyles and speech dialects.

The author innovatively shows the landowner's life of that time, the relationship between the owners and ordinary peasant people. The complex psychological characteristics of the characters gave impetus to the subsequent development of Russian everyday comedy as a theatrical and literary genre of the era of classicism.

Hero Quotes

Mitrofanushka- “I don’t want to study, I want to get married”;

— “Direct dignity in a person is the soul” and many others.

Prostakov — « Without science, people live and lived"

Final conclusion

Fonvizin's comedy has become a unique landmark work for contemporaries. In the play there is a vivid opposition of high moral principles, real education and laziness, ignorance and waywardness. In the socio-political comedy "Undergrowth" three themes rise to the surface:

• the theme of education and upbringing;
• the theme of serfdom;
• the theme of the condemnation of despotic autocratic power.

The purpose of writing this brilliant work is clear - the eradication of ignorance, the education of virtues, the fight against the vices that struck Russian society and the state.

The speech of the heroes of the play by D. I. Fonvizin "Undergrowth"

Comedy "Undergrowth" by Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin -
a masterpiece of Russian drama of the 18th century, which reveals the problem of the moral decay of the nobility and the problem of education.

In Fonvizin's comedies, a clear distinction was made between the language of negative and positive characters. And if in building the linguistic characteristics of negative characters on the traditional basis of using vernacular, the writer achieved great liveliness and expressiveness, then the linguistic characteristics of positive characters remained pale, coldly rhetorical, cut off from the living elements of the spoken language.

The speech of all the characters in The Undergrowth differs both in lexical composition and intonation. Creating his heroes, endowing them with bright linguistic features, Fonvizin makes extensive use of all the richness of lively folk speech. He introduces numerous folk proverbs and sayings into the work, widely uses common folk and swear words and expressions.

The remarks of the negative characters - Prostakovs and Skotinin, serf servants and teachers are sustained in the tones of unconstrained vernacular, interspersed with local dialectisms. At the same time, the speech of the provincial landowners is almost no different from the speech of the serfs-mother Eremeevna and the tailor Trishka. All speeches are distinguished by liveliness, natural intonations, not obsolete in many respects to this day. It is characteristic that Fonvizin consistently applies the technique of rectilinear reflection in the speeches of the characters of their typical distinguishing features. Skotinin talks either about the barnyard or about his former soldier's service, Tsifirkin now and then uses arithmetic terms in his speech, as well as soldier's expressions, in Kuteikin's speeches Church Slavonic quotations from the Psalter predominate, according to which he teaches his pupil to read and write. Finally, the speech of the German Vralman is deliberately distorted in order to convey his non-Russian origin.

All of the above features are clearly illustrated by Prostakova's speech - rude and vicious, full of swear words, abuse and threats, emphasizing the despotism and ignorance of the landowner, her soulless attitude towards the peasants, whom she does not consider to be people from whom she rips off "three skins" and at the same time is indignant and reproaches them. “Five rubles a year and five slaps a day,” Eremeevna, a faithful and devoted servant and nanny (“mother”) of Mitrofan, whom Prostakova calls “an old hrychovka”, “bad mug”, “dog daughter”, “receives from her. beast", "canal". But the main distinguishing feature of Prostakova’s speech is the frequent use of vernacular (“first”, “deushka”, “arihmetika”, “child”, “sweat him and pamper him”) and vulgarisms (“... and you, the beast, were dumbfounded, and you didn’t bite into your brother’s mug, and you didn’t pull his snout up to his ears ...”).

In the image of another landowner, Prostakova's brother Taras Skotinin, everything speaks of his "animal" essence, starting with the surname itself and ending with the hero's own confessions that he loves pigs more than people.

The language of Mitrofan's teachers is just as bright and individualized: the soldier's jargon in Tsyfirkin's speech, quotes (often inappropriate) from the Holy Scriptures in Kuteikin, the monstrous German accent of the former coachman Vralman. The peculiarities of their speech make it possible to accurately judge both the social environment from which these teachers came, and the cultural level of those who are entrusted with the education of Mitrofan. It is not surprising that Mitrofanushka remained undersized, having received neither useful knowledge nor a worthy upbringing during his studies.

In contrast, the speech of the positive characters of the comedy, primarily Starodum, is replete with features of a high style, full of solemn Slavic turns: “It is in vain to call a doctor to the sick is incurable”; “Here are worthy fruits of evil-mindedness!” The basis of the speech of positive actors is book turns. Starodum often uses aphorisms (“it is in vain to call a doctor to the sick is incurable”, “impudence in a woman is a sign of vicious behavior”, etc.) and archaisms. Researchers also note direct "borrowings" in Starodum's speech from the prose works of Fonvizin himself, and this is quite natural, because it is Starodum who expresses the author's position in the comedy. For Pravdin, clericalisms are characteristic, and in the language of young people Milon and Sophia there are sentimental phrases (“the secret of my heart”, “the sacrament of my soul”, “touches my heart”).

Speaking about the peculiarities of the language of the heroes of Fonvizin, one cannot fail to mention the maid and nanny Mitrofan Yeremeevna. This is a bright individual character, due to certain social and historical circumstances. By belonging to the lower class, Yeremeevna is illiterate, but her speech is deeply folk, having absorbed the best features of a simple Russian language - sincere, open, figurative. In her woeful statements, the humiliated position of a maid in the Prostakovs' house is especially clearly felt. “I have been serving for forty years, but the mercy is the same ... - she complains. “... Five rubles a year and five slaps a day.” However, despite such injustice, she remains loyal and devoted to her masters.

The speech of each comedy character is different in its own way. In this, the amazing skill of the satirist writer was especially clearly manifested. The wealth of linguistic means used in the comedy "Undergrowth" suggests that Fonvizin had an excellent command of the dictionary of folk speech and was well acquainted with folk art. This helped him, according to the fair assertion of the critic P. N. Berkov, to create truthful, life-like images.

Let us also point out the relatively frequent "Europeanisms" both in the replicas of the characters (for example, "I am glad to have made your acquaintance" in Pravdin's speech), and in the author's remarks: "Sophia took a seat near the table."

It is noteworthy that the speech of the provincial nobles is not alien to certain foreign language elements: (letter)amorous in Prostakova's remark. From French or Italian, swear words penetrated into her speech: “The beast is delirious, as if noble” (about a serf girl); “I’ll give dawn to my canals!” The language of the "Undergrowth" in comparison with the language of the comedies of the first half or the middle of the 18th century. (Sumarokova, Lukina, etc.) is distinguished by fidelity to life and plausibility. This play prepared the language achievements of 19th-century comedians. Griboyedov and Gogol.

Denis Fonvizin's immortal comedy "Undergrowth" is an outstanding work of Russian literature of the 18th century. Bold satire and truthfully described reality are the main components of the skill of this writer. Centuries later, heated debates about the protagonist of the play, Mitrofanushka, emerge in modern society every now and then. Who is he: a victim of improper upbringing or a vivid example of the moral decay of society?

The comedy "The Brigadier" written by Fonvizin, which had a stunning success in St. Petersburg, became the basis of one of the world's greatest literary monuments. After its publication, the writer did not return to dramaturgy for more than ten years, more and more devoting himself to state issues and tasks. However, the idea of ​​creating a new book excited the author's imagination. Let's not hide the fact that, according to scientists, the first note related to the "Undergrowth" was started back in the 1770s, long before its publication.

After a trip to France in 1778. the playwright had an exact plan for writing the future work. An interesting fact is that initially Mitrofanushka was Ivanushka, which by itself spoke of the similarity of the two comedies (Ivan was a character in The Brigadier). In 1781 the play was completed. Of course, staging this type meant highlighting one of the most problematic issues of the noble society of that time. However, despite the risk, Fonvizin became the direct "instigator" of the literary revolution. The premiere was postponed due to the empress's dislike for any satire, but it nevertheless took place on September 24, 1782.

Genre of the work

COMEDY is a type of drama in which a moment of effective conflict is specifically resolved. It has a number of features:

1. does not entail the death of one representative from the warring parties;
2. aimed at "nothing carrying" goals;
3. The story is lively and vivid.

Also in the work of Fonvizin, a satirical orientation is obvious. This means that the author set himself the task of ridiculing social vices. This is an attempt to disguise life's problems under the guise of a smile.

"Undergrowth" is a work built according to the laws of classicism. One storyline, one place of action, and all events take place within a day. However, this concept is also consistent with realism, as evidenced by individual objects and places of action. In addition, the characters very much resemble real landowners from the hinterland, ridiculed and condemned by the playwright. Fonvizin added something new to classicism - merciless and sharp humor.

What is the piece about?

The plot of Denis Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth" revolves around a family of landowners, which is completely mired in immorality and tyranny. Children became like rude and limited parents, from which their idea of ​​morality suffered. Sixteen-year-old Mitrofanushka is struggling to finish his studies, but he lacks the desire and ability. The mother looks at it through her sleeves, she does not care if her son develops. She prefers everything to remain as it is, any progress is alien to her.

The Prostakovs “sheltered” a distant relative, the orphan Sophia, who differs from the whole family not only in her outlook on life, but also in her good manners. Sophia is the heiress of a large estate, which Mitrofanushka's uncle, Skotinin, who is a great hunter, “looks at” as well. Marriage is the only available way to take possession of Sophia's household, so the relatives surrounding her are trying to persuade her to a profitable marriage.

Starodum - Sophia's uncle, sends a letter to his niece. Prostakova is terribly unhappy with such a "trick" of a relative who was considered dead in Siberia. The deceit and arrogance inherent in her nature is manifested in the accusation of a "fraudulent" letter, allegedly "amorous". Illiterate landowners will soon find out the true content of the message, resorting to the help of the guest Pravdin. He reveals to the whole family the truth about the left Siberian inheritance, which gives as much as ten thousand annual income.

It was then that Prostakova came up with an idea - to marry Sophia to Mitrofanushka in order to appropriate the inheritance for herself. However, officer Milon "breaks into" her plans, walking through the village with soldiers. He met with an old friend, Pravdin, who, as it turned out, was a member of the governor's board. His plans include watching the landowners mistreating their people.

Milon talks about his long-standing love for a sweet lady who was transported to an unknown place due to the death of a relative. Suddenly he meets Sophia - she is the same girl. The heroine talks about her future marriage with the undersized Mitrofanushka, from which the groom “flashes” like a spark, but then gradually “weakens” with a detailed story about the “betrothed”.

Sophia's uncle arrived. Having met Milon, he accepts Sophia's choice, while inquiring about the "correctness" of her decision. At the same time, the Prostakovs' estate was transferred to state custody due to the cruel treatment of the peasants. Looking for support, the mother hugs Mitrofanushka. But the Son did not intend to be courteous and polite, he is rude, which makes the venerable matron faint. Waking up, she wails: "I died completely." And Starodum, pointing to her, says "Here are worthy fruits of evil-mindedness!".

Main characters and their characteristics

Pravdin, Sofya, Starodum and Milon are representatives of the so-called "new" time, the Enlightenment. The moral components of their souls are nothing but goodness, love, craving for knowledge and compassion. The Prostakovs, Skotinin and Mitrofan are representatives of the "old" nobility, where the cult of material well-being, rudeness and ignorance flourish.

• The minor Mitrofan is a young man whose ignorance, stupidity and inability to adequately analyze the situation do not allow him to become an active and reasonable representative of the noble community. “I don’t want to study, but I want to get married” is a life motto that fully reflects the character of a young man who does not take anything seriously.
• Sophia is an educated, kind girl who becomes a black sheep in a society of envious and greedy people.
• Prostakova is a cunning, careless, rude woman with many flaws and a lack of love and respect for all living things, except for her beloved son Mitrofanushka. The upbringing of Prostakova is only a confirmation of the persistence of conservatism, which does not allow the development of the Russian nobility.
• Starodum brings up "his little blood" in a different way - Sophia for him is no longer a small child, but a formed member of society. He gives the girl freedom of choice, thereby teaching her the right basics of life. In it, Fonvizin portrays the type of personality that has gone through all the “ups and downs”, while becoming not only a “worthy parent”, but also an undoubted example for the future generation.
• Skotinin - just like everyone else, is an example of a "speaking surname." A person whose inner essence is more like some rough, uncouth cattle than a well-mannered person.

Theme of the work

• The upbringing of the "new" nobility is the main theme of the comedy. “Undergrowth” is a kind of allusion to the “disappearing” moral principles in people who are afraid of transformation. The landowners bring up their offspring in the old fashioned way, without paying due attention to their education. But those who were not taught, but only spoiled or intimidated, will not be able to take care of either their families or Russia.
• Family theme. The family is a social institution on which the development of the individual depends. Despite Prostakova's rudeness and disrespect towards all residents, she cherishes her beloved son, who does not at all appreciate her care or her love. Such behavior is a typical example of ingratitude, which is a consequence of spoiled and parental adoration. The landowner does not understand that her son sees her treatment of other people and repeats exactly that. So, the weather in the house determines the character of the young man and his shortcomings. Fonvizin emphasizes the importance of maintaining warmth, tenderness and respect in the family towards all its members. Only then will children be respectful and parents worthy of respect.
• The theme of freedom of choice. The "new" stage is Starodum's relationship with Sophia. Starodum gives her freedom of choice, not limiting her to her beliefs, which can affect her worldview, thereby educating her in the ideal of a noble future.

Main problems

• The main problem of the work is the consequences of improper upbringing. The Prostakov family is a family tree that has its roots in the distant past of the nobility. This is what the landlords boast about, not realizing that the glory of their ancestors does not add to their dignity. But class pride clouded their minds, they do not want to move forward and achieve new achievements, they think that everything will always be the same as before. That is why they do not realize the need for education; in their world enslaved by stereotypes, it really is not needed. Mitrofanushka will also sit all his life in the village and live off the labor of his serfs.
• The problem of serfdom. The moral and intellectual decay of the nobility under serfdom is an absolutely logical result of the unjust policy of the tsar. The landlords are completely lazy, they do not need to work to provide for themselves. Managers and peasants will do everything for them. With such a social structure, the nobles have no incentive to work and get an education.
• The problem of greed. The thirst for material well-being blocks access to morality. The Prostakovs are obsessed with money and power, they don’t care if their child is happy, for them happiness is a synonym for wealth.
• The problem of ignorance. Stupidity deprives the heroes of spirituality, their world is too limited and tied to the material side of life. They are not interested in anything but primitive physical pleasures, because they do not know anything else at all. Fonvizin saw the true "human appearance" only in the person who was brought up by literate people, and not by half-educated deacons.

comedy idea

Fonvizin was a personality, therefore he did not accept rudeness, ignorance and cruelty. He professed the belief that a person is born with a “clean slate”, therefore only upbringing and education can make him a moral, virtuous and intelligent citizen who will benefit the fatherland. Thus, the chanting of the ideals of humanism is the main idea of ​​The Undergrowth. A young man who obeys the call of goodness, intelligence and justice - that's a true nobleman! If he is brought up in the spirit of Prostakova, then he will never go beyond the narrow limits of his limitations and will not understand the beauty and versatility of the world in which he lives. He will not be able to work for the good of society and will not leave anything significant behind him.

At the end of the comedy, the author speaks of the triumph of "retribution": Prostakova loses the estate and the respect of her own son, who was brought up in accordance with her spiritual and physical ideals. This is the price of wrong education and ignorance.

What does it teach?

Comedy Denis Fonvizin "Undergrowth", above all, teaches respect for others. The sixteen-year-old youth Mitrofanushka did not take care of either his mother or his uncle at all, he considered this a self-evident fact: “Why did you overeat henbane, uncle? Yes, I don’t know why you deigned to jump on me. The natural result of rough treatment in the house is the finale, where the son pushes away the loving mother.

The lessons of the comedy "Undergrowth" do not end there. Not so much respect as ignorance shows people in a position that they carefully try to hide. Stupidity and ignorance hover in comedy, like a bird over a nest, they envelop the village, thereby not releasing the inhabitants from their own shackles. The author severely punishes the Prostakovs for their narrow-mindedness, depriving them of their property and the very opportunity to continue an idle lifestyle. Thus, everyone needs to learn, because even the most stable position in society is easy to lose, being an uneducated person.

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